1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cosmetics, and more particularly but not by way of limitation, to a skin care cosmetic regime and components used therein.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
Skin care cosmetics, such as hand creams and lotions, have heretofore been employed to soften a person's skin, deter aging of the skin, and generally improve the overall health of the skin. Normal, healthy skin undergoes a natural renewal cycle wherein cells are constantly being produced or born, rise to the skin's surface through the epidermal layers, and then fall off. This renewal cycle for young skin is much more rapid than for mature skin. For example, healthy, young skin will normally renew itself every two weeks or so; whereas, healthy mature skin will renew itself about every four to six weeks.
In order to provide mature skin with a younger looking appearance, to retard aging spots and to soften the skin, it is desirable to accelerate the natural cell renewal cycle which results in the replacement of dead cells by new ones in the outer epidermal layer or stratum corneum. However, care must be exercised in accelerating the cell renewal cycle because irritation of the skin may occur due to the sloughing off of the dead stratum corneum cells, and such irritation may damage the skin.
The prior art is replete with cosmetic preparations, especially skin cream formulations and cell renewal cosmetic formulations for increasing the epidermal cell turnover without skin irritation. Typical of such prior art is as follows: Van Wessem et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,616); Sutliff et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,996); Hasunuma et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,276); Vargas et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,526); Cella et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,544); Flom et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,187); Herrold U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,230).
Many of the before-mentioned prior art references use a multiple component system containing components of various ingredients in the formulation of cosmetic preparations for use in a cosmetic skin regime. However, because of the concern for healthy and younger looking skin, especially as same relates to a person's hands and face, new and improved cosmetic preparations are constantly being sought which will accelerate the cell renewal cycles of mature skin without causing irritation. It is to such a cosmetic formulation and cosmetic regime that the subject invention is directed.